USDA offers drought relief to farmers

Wednesday

Feb 12, 2014 at 12:01 AMFeb 12, 2014 at 10:42 AM

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency has announced a drought-relief program that should provide about $7 million to California farmers and ranchers, including San Joaquin County, through the Emergency Conservation Program.

The Record

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency has announced a drought-relief program that should provide about $7 million to California farmers and ranchers, including San Joaquin County, through the Emergency Conservation Program.

This comes in addition to a separate $20 million drought-relief effort announced last week that will come through the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Officials say the latest program will be aimed initially at assisting livestock producers meet emergency water needs. Applications are being taken now through March 27.

Projects could include rehabilitation of spring developments, new or deepened wells, pipelines, tanks and troughs. The program will also assist with the cost of hauling water to confined livestock, said Navdeep Dhillon, FSA farm programs chief for California.

“We did a similar program last year for the Rim Fire to assist producers with the rehabilitation of land,” she said, referring to the blaze that affected Mother Lode and Sierra Nevada grazing lands near and around Yosemite National Park.

The agency will provide financial assistance for up to 75 percent of the cost of any approved emergency conservation practices. Producers should apply for the aid before beginning construction of any project, however.

More information is available through the Farm Service Center in Stockton, 3422 W. Hammer Lane, Suite A, by calling the office at (209) 472-7127 or online at fsa.usda.gov/ca.